"...government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

In the months since the 2016 presidential election, I’ve been struggling to find a purpose for my writing, a reason to keep creating and imagining my own worlds, in a world that feels more alien and terrifying each day.

Today, though, I found inspiration in a short film “Speech” directed by writer/director Tatia Pilieva.

In “Speech,” five actresses perform five presidential speeches. Abraham Lincoln is played by Bryce Dallas Howard, JFK by Becki Newton, LBJ  by Deborah Ann Woll, Jimmy Carter by Gillian Zinser, and Barack Obama by Robinne Lee. The film intercuts the different speeches to highlight commonalities in the messages of these five presidents, as well as to create new resonance and meaning in their words.

In this bleak, chaotic moment in history where unity among our citizens seems unattainable, the film’s final passage is especially resonant.

This passage inspires me to resist those actions of the current administration like the Muslim ban that fly in the face of the ideals and spirit on which our country was founded. It inspires me to keep creating, to stand up and be counted among the diverse, multifaceted voices that define our country.

Please share this film to help us remember what makes our nation great and what will help save our nation, where “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

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